Picture Size Matters
ARE YOU MISSING OUT ON THE BEST WAY TO VIEW YOUR PHOTOS?
A couple weeks ago I went to the movies with my son. A nearby film center was screening a restored version of Ben Hur on the big screen and, being a student of film, he wanted to see it.
Father. Son. Movies. Works for me.
I’ve probably seen Ben Hur on TV a couple times over the years, but I might be making that up. It’s three and a half hours, after all. Clips of the famous chariot race, for sure, and the famous galley scenes. But what I do recall is seeing the original release as a kid on the huge screen of a velvet-draped theater in Seattle, and it was AWESOME.
Which reminded me, as we watched a young, sweaty Charlton Heston tug away at his oar, that watching Ben Hur on my pocket-sized iPhone would just not be the same experience. Or would any movie, for that matter.
And by extension, any photo.
Picture size matters. Large photos capture your attention in the same way that a true theater experience beats out the family room for viewing immersion.
You pay attention. See new details.
In fact, one could argue that for all the wonderful camera features we get in the iPhone, it just can’t deliver the best image experience simply because of its size. Heck, even a 4x6 photo print is larger than your Home Screen. Go into any photo gallery, skim through a tabletop photo book, or check out any decorative art and you will agree. More and more I see large wall prints in homes that knock your socks off, made from otherwise unassuming images in the owner’s camera roll. I bet you have some of those too. Oversized photos are more engaging with scale, detail, and presence that makes you stop and appreciate the art. If I had the wall space (and the budget) I would blow up all my favorite photos to enjoy at a proper size.
But rather than spend several hundred dollars on a 4’x 3’ back-mounted acrylic print, you can go big with what you’ve already got.
On your TV.
As much as TV is embedded in most of our lives, it’s not the first thing you might think of regarding photos. Or home videos, for that matter. But you should.
Our TV’s are bigger than any other screen in the home. Likely bigger than any wall art. And they are generally in a visible family area. The technology that allows for convenient selection and viewing of movies and tv shows can do the same for your photo collection and home videos.
There are three easy ways to do that. For our purposes, I’m going to focus on options with AppleTV, but other hubs and most new Smart TV’s offer similar connections.
Screen Mirroring - The Control Panel on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac has a screen mirroring button that looks for other devices with which to broadcast. If your AppleTV is on you will see it as an option, and by choosing it you will see your iPhone (or other device) screen pop up on the TV. You can navigate to your Apple Photos Library or any other apps to share those photos and videos on the TV.
Apple Photos App - AppleTV should have the Apple Photos App already installed and synced through iCloud, so you can just launch it directly on AppleTV to view any photos or videos you have in your collection. In AppleTV settings you can also choose an Album in Apple Photos as a screen saver for the TV.
Projector App - Projector is a dedicated app for playing and sharing your home videos and pictures in collections similar to commercial movie apps like Netflix. It requires a separate account but lets you set up easy sharing with family and friends. Projector supports several devices and smart TV’s so it’s great for mixed platforms and offers navigation that’s familiar and easy for anyone. Let me know if you want details about setup and installation.
Considering that TV purchases in the U.S. average around 55” in size, viewing your pictures and videos that way really raises the bar over skimming through the Albums on your iPhone.
Screen Mirroring is an easy way to start. You need to be sure that your iPhone and TV are on the same Wi-Fi channel, then find Screen Mirroring in your Control Center and follow the prompts. Once you see the difference in your pictures, you’ll be eager to use your Apple Photos Library or a full-on Projector setup to enjoy them all on the “big screen.”
Pass the popcorn.
Let me know what you think in Comments.